AT LEAST 750 people have been rescued by helicopter from campsites in southern France after torrential rain swelled rivers and one person is reported missing.

Top Gard official Thierry Dousset told BFM-TV that about 750 people were evacuated from five campsites.
The Gard government also said four German children were hospitalised for hypothermia in Bagnols-sur-Ceze.
BFM-TV reported that the missing person was a 70-year-old German man.
As much as four inches of rain fell in less than three hours in some areas of central and southern France.
The Ardeche river burst its banks and and he sought shelter inside his caravan, but it was swept away.
It was later found empty and “in pieces” near the river, police said.
Divers are taking part in the search for the missing man, according to witnesses.
The man is the only person unaccounted for, so far.
He was accompanying a group of around 100 German children.
The flood was sparked when a heatwave ended abruptly this week, which gave way to storms.
Jean-Yves Chapelet, mayor of Bagnols, said many Dutch tourists were among the 350 campers evacuated there.
Around 120 gendarmes, 300 firemen and four helicopters carried out the rescue operation.
Thunderstorms and heavy rains forced some motorists to stop vehicles at times.
At least 160,000 lightning strikes were recorded by midday on Thursday.
Numerous roads in the area remained cut off as night fell.
Around 19,000 homes are without power, Le Monde reported.